Instead, Boris will talk to business leaders later today about his 'dual vision': an area the size of the borough of Kensington and Chelsea on the Heathrow site housing 180,000 people and creating 40,000 jobs as well as a new airport in the east of the city.

He told Simon Harris that closing Heathrow would bring about massive economic growth in the area.

The Mayor is also due to claim in his speech later, that the proposal to add a second runway at Gatwick offers absolutely no kind of solution to the problem.

Gatwick already has the capacity to provide more flights but Mr Johnson says that airlines frustrated by congestion at Heathrow are well aware that the greater number of transfer passengers found at mega hub airports will offer them larger profits.

Airlines are therefore choosing to move to Schipol or other hub airports - instead of Gatwick, he says.

A report out today claims that replacing Heathrow with a new hub airport would leave passengers, taxpayers and business worse off. It says a third London airport runway is essential if capacity is to be increased.

The study will be presented as evidence to the Airports Commission and argues against a new airport in the Thames Estuary, Isle of Grain or Stansted.

Earlier we spoke to John Holland-Kay, development Director at Heathrow.